Highlighting Agriculture

New England Farm Weekly

After he retired from military service, Jerry Ireland thought he was going to leave the rest of the world behind and do his own thing. But four years after starting a farm in Belfast, Maine, Ireland says that the farm is becoming an example for other veterans. And as someone who had never farmed a day in his life, Ireland says although the agricultural life isn’t easy, anyone who wants to can do it. [Read more…]

LYNDONVILLE, VT — Several 4-H’ers came away from the State 4-H Dairy Show, Aug. 15, as champions, earning rosette ribbons in fitting and showmanship and conformation contests.

The well-attended show took place at the Caledonia County Fairgrounds in Lyndonville with more than 60 youths, ages 11 to 18, from 11 counties showing dairy animals. University of Vermont (UVM) Extension organized the event, which also included a team clipping competition and grilled cheese-making contest. [Read more…]

Note: It is clearly too late in the season to correct nutrient deficiencies, thinking about these things now can help us to be more aware, thoughtful, and proactive next year.

A farmer called several weeks ago and said that his corn was looking ‘striped.’ The agronomic jargon for that condition is ‘interveinal chlorosis.’ Indeed, it was faintly, yet distinctly exhibiting those symptoms. [Read more…]

FREEPORT, ME – The Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Tom Vilsack, recently announced that Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation, Inc. (WNF) has been awarded a three-year grant totaling $573,256 to support expansion of its Organic Dairy Farmer Training Program to other farms throughout the region. This grant is coming from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. [Read more…]

Each year in early August the Connecticut Agricultural Station Lockwood Farm located in Hamden, CT holds an open house at which time the station has the opportunity to display its many trials, experiments, investigations and other activities to the general public. One of the highlights of the program is the recognition of a CT farm that has been operated by members of the same family for one hundred years or more. Eligible farms are selected by the CT Agricultural Information Council. This group is also responsible for annually choosing the states outstanding young farmer who is recognized at AG Day at the State Capitol in early March. [Read more…]

New Haven, CT – The State Mosquito Management Program reminds residents to take steps to prevent mosquito bites as West Nile virus (WNV) is present in Connecticut. So far this season, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has identified WNV infected mosquitoes in two communities in Fairfield County, Stamford and Bridgeport. [Read more…]

Anyone that has ever been in a grain bin knows how dangerous it can be. With the lack of light, possibility of fumes or foul air and the confinement of the space, grain bins can be a nightmare. With more and more grain bins springing up and being used, it is becoming important to prepare both those working in the bins as well as those that will be called when something goes wrong. [Read more…]

Sheep producers are accustomed to having a species that isn’t well-funded when it comes to research. Producers are pretty much on their own when it comes to learning anything new about sheep health, reproduction or other aspects of husbandry. [Read more…]

by Hope Holland On June 14 the Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Howard County, Maryland, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Green Mountain Technologies introduced their new manure composting system, Earth Flow. The manure composting system is a greenhouse type structure housing the auger that moves through the manure, mixing, […]